If you feel as though your sense of hearing is changing, it’s important to get it checked as soon as possible. Whether you’re finding that you’re turning up the volume to your television way too high to be able to hear it, or if you’re missing phone calls even when your phone’s ringer is on max, it can be disconcerting to realise that your hearing is not what it used to be.

There can be a sense of losing your independence, too, if you’re having to rely on other people to accommodate for your loss of hearing. But don’t panic: not only are there audiologists that will provide you with personalised support for your hearing loss, but there are also devices such as hearing aids that have been made available to ensure that even with the loss of hearing, you can still communicate, connect, and live your life as you have been.

Does Medicare Australia cover hearing tests?

Wondering about the costs of getting your hearing checked? The government offers a Hearing Services program, which not only offers comprehensive hearing tests for free but also subsidises, if not covers, all of the costs of hearing aids required. You must be a pensioner, or a veteran, in order to be eligible for this program, and above 26 years of age. Check the Hearing Services website for the specific requirements.

However, if you are not eligible for the Hearing Services Program, it’s important to note that a hearing aid bank will help you acquire lower cost aids, too, which means that the price will not be a limitation to having a proper hearing. 

How often should older adults have their hearing checked? 

The frequency of hearing tests varies as you age. GPs should be screening your hearing during your annual physical or at least every three to five years. This screening indicates whether you have hearing loss or not and whether you need further testing.

It’s a good idea to come in and get your hearing tested by a qualified audiologist as early in your adult life as possible, in order to establish a baseline with which subsequent hearing tests will be compared to check for hearing loss. Perth hearing tests are essential to ensuring that you catch the first signs of hearing loss, and are able to manage these symptoms as early as possible. This is because quite often, people tend to ignore hearing loss for years, and only come in to test their hearing when it has declined to the point of requiring a hearing aid. Instead of doing this, being proactive and self-aware of your hearing can go a long way in ensuring that your hearing health is maintained even as you age through the years.

If you’re finding that it’s hard to focus on conversations in noisy environments, or you’re having to continuously ask people to repeat themselves in order to understand what they’re saying, it’s time to book your test and stay ahead of possible hearing loss.